June 15, 2026 - AUSTIN – On Friday, Senator John Cornyn released the following:

U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) and 15 of his Senate Republican colleagues introduced the Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts (SHOT) Act, which would strengthen the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) to provide enhanced protections to the firearms industry from frivolous lawsuits brought by progressive anti-gun groups:

“I am a proud supporter of the PLCAA, which protects our firearms industry from the constant onslaught of frivolous attacks by the Radical Left, progressive officials, and rogue activist judges,” said Sen. Cornyn. “This legislation would strengthen the PLCAA to ensure it can continue to defend law-abiding Americans’ Second Amendment rights against anti-gun groups’ evolving tactics, and I urge the Senate to bring it to the floor for a vote as soon as possible.”   

“Radical leftists, Democrat politicians, and rogue judges are eroding our Second Amendment rights by supporting baseless lawsuits against law-abiding gun makers,” said Sen. Blackburn. “The SHOT Act would put a stop to these harmful lawsuits and protect the firearms industry that is vital to upholding our constitutional right to bear arms.”

“For far too long, radical anti-gun groups have weaponized our courts with meritless lawsuits against America’s firearms industry, aided by activist judges who disregard federal law. I am proud to join Senator John Cornyn in stopping these baseless attacks on our constitutional rights and defending an industry that plays a vital role in our public safety and national security,” said Sen. Budd.

“Litigious activists should not be allowed to bankrupt lawful businesses for crimes they did not commit,” said Sen. Crapo. “The SHOT Act would reinforce Congress’s original intent by strengthening federal protections for members of the firearms industry, stopping meritless lawsuits and preventing costly legal abuse.”

“For years, bad actors have frivolously litigated the firearms industry in ways that unnecessarily strain our court system and undermine Americans’ Second Amendment rights,” said Sen. Curtis. “The SHOT Act helps ensure that lawful firearms manufacturers and sellers are not held liable for crimes committed by third parties, while closing loopholes and reinforcing existing legal protections.”

“The Constitution makes it very clear: Americans have the right to keep and bear arms. I’m proud to work with Senator Cornyn and our colleagues on the SHOT Act to protect firearm manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits by anti-gun organizations and protect the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Sen. Daines.

“The Second Amendment is a fundamental right established by our Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, that hasn’t stopped leftist organizations, special interest groups and foreign governments from attempting to strip Americans of their right to bear arms, including through baseless litigation intended to bankrupt the firearms industry,” said Sen. Grassley. “I’m proud to join my colleagues in introducing the SHOT Act, which will put a stop to these frivolous lawsuits and help protect Americans’ constitutional rights.”

“Radical anti-gun activists’ attempts to strip Idahoans of their Second Amendment rights and bankrupt our firearm industry must stop,” said Sen. Risch. “The SHOT Act will protect our Constitutional right to bear arms by ending frivolous and costly lawsuits.”

“As radical anti-gun groups continue their attacks on the firearms industry through a deluge of nuisance lawsuits and baseless claims, it’s crucial we clarify and strengthen existing protections for the industry to protect Americans’ Second Amendment rights. That’s why I’m pleased to cosponsor the SHOT Act, which makes key updates to the PLCAA – deterring such meritless litigation and defending our constitutional freedoms,” said Sen. Sheehy.

“The threats against our right to bear arms run far and wide. When radical gun-grabbing activists lose at the ballot box, they turn to the court room with bogus legal claims,” said Sen. Graham. “I’m proud to stand with Second Amendment advocates in supporting the SHOT Act, which will shut the door on absurd lawsuits that seek to put gun dealers across South Carolina out of business.”

The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators Tom Cotton (R-AR), Jim Justice (R-WV), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), and Bill Cassidy (R-LA). U.S. Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) introduced companion legislation in the House of Representatives.

Background:

The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) was passed by Congress 20 years ago to stop frivolous lawsuits brought by radical anti-gun groups against the firearms industry. These bogus lawsuits, premised solely on the actions of third parties who misuse firearms in a manner beyond the industry’s control, sought to bankrupt the firearms industry. In response, the PLCAA provided the firearms industry with basic immunity protections from frivolous suits that many other American industries enjoy.

Unfortunately, anti-gun groups, progressive politicians, plaintiffs’ attorneys, and rogue judges have ignored the plain text of the PLCAA and chipped away at its protections. For example, in Smith & Wesson Brands, Inc. v. Estados Unidos Mexicanos, Mexico filed a lawsuit against firearms manufacturers alleging that they caused cartel violence. The District Court judge hearing the case quickly dismissed the suit under the PLCAA, but a panel of liberal judges on the First Circuit ignored the PLCAA’s text and reversed the lower court, necessitating the Supreme Court’s involvement.  While a unanimous Supreme Court emphatically dismissed the suit, the entire charade cost firearms manufacturers an exorbitant amount in legal fees.

The Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts (SHOT) Act would address tactics the anti-gun lobby has taken to go after firearms manufacturers and undermine the PLCAA’s protections, along with holdings by rogue judges, by establishing new provisions under the law that would:

• Delineate a standardized process for removing and dismissing baseless actions brought against the firearms industry;
• Require complaints premised on an exception to the PLCAA’s protections to be pled with particularity, including providing the facts necessary to establish scienter and proximate cause;
• Create an interlocutory appeal as of right for industry defendants if a motion to dismiss based on the PLCAA’s protections is denied;
• Grant a defendant who asserts immunity under the PLCAA and prevails attorneys’ fees and court costs;
• Clarify that the PLCAA’s protections preempt state or local laws;
• Make plain that foreign governments may not bring a qualified civil liability action against a defendant in U.S. federal or state courts;
• Update the definitions of a “qualified product” to include firearms accessories such as magazines and optical devices;
• Revise the definition of a “qualified civil liability action” to make clear that any claim premised on an exception to immunity requires the plaintiff to be directly injured by a defendant, and that nuisance or negligence claims do not qualify as an exception;
• And expand the definition of a “seller” of a qualified product.

The Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts (SHOT) Act is endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF).

Source: Senator John Cornyn